April 7th, 2012

It is hard to believe: The one-week countdown begins! Commemorations planned: The history of Titanic seems to be everywhere. On Wednesday April 4th, an impressive Hun School gathering exuded reverence and fun. Upper School students and faculty filled the auditorium to listen to my explanations of finding my grandfather’s scrapbooks and piecing together his biography; plus stories of other Titanic passengers—like Gus Cohen who survived countless near-fatal events. Singing groups performed, and a wonderful soloist rivalling Celine Dion!

The next evening, the Princeton Pulbic Library’s event for the Titanic centenary, was a heartwarming time for me. So many friends and interested people came to lend support and listen to my story.

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Notable Reviews for Starboard at Midnight

“When hundreds died and you should have gone with them, it is difficult to cope with such pressure. Starboard at Midnight tells the story of Karl H. Behr, a German American who survived the tragedy of the Titanic. Famed as a rising tennis star, he joined activism with former President Theodore Roosevelt in his own way of facing survivor's guilt. Starboard at Midnight is a moving bit of biography and history, very highly recommended reading.”—Midwest Book Review

“...a literary treat in the rising tide of books about the century-old disaster.... Amid the hubbub of glossy pictorials, in-depth chronicles, and pure junk has emerged an intimate literary gem, Starboard at Midnight, a novelized treatment of the lives of Titanic survivors Karl Behr and Helen Newsom.... With all the drama and intrigue that charges a spy thriller, and punctuated by bursts of eloquent prose, Sanford's well-woven tale fleshes out the grandmother she cherished and reclaims an elusive grandfather she never knew but felt compelled to discover. The romance of Behr and Newsom is familiar to Titanic aficionados, but its retelling from such close quarters offers fresh nuance.... The book’s 38 illustrations are in themsevles worth its purchase price.” (Read More)—Randy Bryan Bigham, Encyclopedia Titanica

ESPN and Karl Behr

This (6) minute video, presented by ESPN as a segment for the US Open in 1998, features Tennis Hall of Famers: Karl Behr and Dick Williams. Both passengers on the Titanic.
Like the 1914 tennis match they are seen playing in at the beginning, the video volleys back and forth between Dick’s family with their explanations about Dick’s Harvard connections, his near disastrous fate, and Karl’s son and granddaughter, Lynn Sanford, who reads from Karl’s memoir.

Lynn Sanford wants her viewers to know that she does not in any way endorse the inaccurate Titanic the Tennis Story, which may advertise at the end of this video and often with Starboard at Midnight on Amazon.com.Thank you.